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HUNTINGTON BEACH — Yorba Linda and Edison continued to grow their public school rivalry Thursday by again dueling deep into the fourth quarter.
Once again, the Mustangs rallied to maintain bragging rights.
Isaiah Trujillo rushed for two touchdowns in the final eight minutes, including one set up by a spectacular catch by Troy Roberts, and Blake Thorp led the defense as Yorba Linda defeated Edison 21-17 at Huntington Beach High.
“It’s amazing to beat a great team like that,” said Roberts, who tallied 134 yards from scrimmage. “It just shows how much heart we have and how much we play like a team and when we’re down, we don’t give up.”
In the teams’ first meeting last season, Yorba Linda rallied in the fourth quarter to edge Edison 22-21 on a touchdown catch by Roberts with five seconds left. Edison went on to capture a CIF state title.
Edison (1-1), ranked No. 7 in Orange County and No. 26 in the state by hsratings.com, threatened in the final 2:12 by driving to the Yorba Linda 14.
On fourth-and-15 with 11 seconds left, Thorp again asserted himself. The senior lineman leaped to deflect a pass to seal the victory for Yorba Linda (2-0), ranked No. 9 in the county and No. 24 in the state.
“It just goes to our conditioning,” said Thorp, who recorded a sack and two tackles for losses. “That’s what really sets us apart.”
Edison struggled with penalties, including a holding call on its final drive that negated a pass completion by Sam Thomson to the Yorba Linda 1.
“Penalties got to us,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “They made the plays when they needed to.”
“Rivalries go both ways,” the coach added. “This one has gone one way so far.”
Edison led 17-7 going into the fourth period. Yorba Linda responded with an 80-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard TD touchdown run by Trujillo with 7:46 left.
Trujillo, a sophomore, scored his third touchdown on a 4-yard run with 2:12 left as Yorba Linda took the lead for good at 21-17.
Roberts sparked the drive on the first play by making a leaping, 45-yard reception over a defender at the Edison 11.
Edison used its own big catch to take the lead in third quarter. Ayden DeGiacomo found redemption with a 29-yad reception to the Yorba Linda 10, setting up Thomson’s 4-yard TD pass to Samuel Edmisten.
Both teams scored in the final minute of the second quarter to go to intermission tied 7-7.
Trujillo scored on a 6-yard touchdown run with 44 seconds left to cap a 68-yard drive that consumed over seven minutes.
Edison responded quickly as junior Blaise Burwell returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Burwell joined Chargers after an offseason transfer from Servite.
Yorba Linda and Edison will face more similar opponents next week. The Mustangs travel to San Jacinto on Sept 4. The Chargers play host to Lakewood on Sept. 5 at Huntington Beach High.